The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has conducted a special training on mass casualty and hazard management for emergency responders to improve their capacities for efficient response to disaster situations in the country.
Addressing participants at the training in Abuja, Director General of NEMA Alhaji Mustapha Habib Ahmed said it was in line with the objective to save more lives during disasters through efficient response by the stakeholder organizations.
The NEMA DG who was represented by the Agency’s Director of Search and Rescue Air Commodore Edward Adedokun said the training was “another opportunity for all participating Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to acquire new skills, share experiences and re-strategize to heighten our level of preparedness and sharpen our alertness level to achieve the goal of mass casualty handling, which is to save more lives as possible.”
He also explained that the training was necessitated by challenges of natural and human hazards, noting that “these hazards are further escalated by the worsening impacts of climate change through annual flood and draughts as well as activities of armed groups with huge humanitarian consequences.”
The NEMA DG also emphasized the benefits of collective efforts in disaster management, adding that “synergy of efforts and interoperability of various components through joint trainings and exercises, information sharing, expertise and resource utilization in order to achieve the desired results.”
Also speaking, Director General of Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency Alhaji Idris Abbass said the positive response of stakeholders to the training was an affirmation their willingness to collaborate and partner together for efficient disaster Management in the country.
NEMA’s Deputy Director Search and Rescue Mr Ishaya Isa Chonoko led a team of resource persons for the training of the stakeholders on areas that include mass casualty handling in firearm, Improvised Explosives Devices (IED) attacks and Medical Standard Operating Procedures among others. Participants at the training were drawn from the Nigerian Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, FCT Emergency Management Agency, Federal Fire Service and other agencies.
